| From: Elroy | 5/8/2019 1:16:40 AM | | | | | | Strange article. I didn't think NAND flash prices were ever supposed to "rebound". I think the generally either decline slowly (good for NAND makers) or decline quickly (bad for NAND makers). Price increases, or "rebounds" (as we saw in the transition from 2D to 3D flash) are super ucommmon.
NAND flash prices to continue downward trend
Siu Han, Taipei; Jessie Shen, DIGITIMES
Tuesday 7 May 2019
digitimes.com
NAND flash prices are showing no signs of rebounding despite optimism about demand recovery in the second half of 2019, according to industry sources.
The sources noted it is generally believed that NAND flash demand for smartphones will be picking up substantially in the second half of 2019. A recovery is also expected to take place in the server and datacenter market in the latter part of this year, playing another catalyst for the memory market growth, the sources continued.
Nevertheless, NAND flash memory prices are expected to continue trending down in the second half of 2019, the sources warned. The prices have already approached cash costs for many manufacturers, but remain under downward pressure, the sources indicated.
This is also hard to believe. Prices may have approached cash costs for NAND produced 9 months ago, but I don't think prices for NAND manufactured today are at cash cost today. The problem is the NAND makers all have lots of old inventory sitting on their balanace sheets.
Global trade conditions are still unfavorable to end-market demand, said the sources, adding that demand from datacenter vendors has also not seen a substantial pick-up. Near-term demand visibility is limited.
NAND flash prices could stop falling in the second half of 2019 if demand from US datacenter vendors pulls in between the latter half of June and July, the sources suggested.
NAND flash prices will continue falling but at a slower pace in the second half of 2019, according to Wallace Kou, president and CEO of Silicon Motion Technology. Falls in the memory prices are expected to narrow to single digits, said Kou.
|
| | Silicon Motion Inc. (SIMO) | Stock Discussion ForumsShare | RecommendKeepReplyMark as Last Read |
|
| From: Elroy | 5/9/2019 6:38:42 AM | | | | | | This one is a bit strange. It appears to be SK Hynix announcing some upcoming QLC 4d SSD products, with internally developed controllers. Then the CEO of SIMO is quoted saying "They're great!"??
SK Hynix ships samples of 96-layer 1Tb QLC 4D NAND
digitimes.com
SK Hynix has delivered samples of new 1Tb quadruple-level cell (QLC) memory to major SSD controller companies, according to the company.
SK Hynix applies its own QLC technology to 96-layer charge-trap-flash-based 4D NAND flash, said the company, adding that its 96-layer-based 1Tb QLC products will be "in time for the QLC market opening."
Meanwhile, SK Hynix is ??developing its own QLC software algorithm and controller and plans to launch solution products in time to meet client demand, the company indicated.
"We plan to launch our own QLC-based SSD from next year when demand for enterprise QLC NAND is expected to become meaningful," said SK Hynix VP and head of NAND development strategy Han Joo Na in a company statement. "In particular, we intend to establish a solid position in the market for high-density eSSD, which is replacing hard disk drives (HDD), with NAND Flash solutions as large as 16TB (terabytes) or larger."
Also in the same statement, Silicon Motion Technology CEO Wallace Kou noted "we got QLC engineering samples from SK Hynix, and were impressed by its overall performance. The samples meet client SSD product requirements."
Here's another article on the topic......
techpowerup.com
According to IDC, the proportion of QLC in the NAND Flash market is expected to increase from 3% in 2019 to 22% in 2023, while the eSSD market will grow at a CAGR of 47.9% to rapidly replace HDD during the five-year period. |
| | Silicon Motion Inc. (SIMO) | Stock Discussion ForumsShare | RecommendKeepReplyMark as Last Read |
|
| From: Elroy | 5/15/2019 9:06:59 PM | | | | | | Really hard to understand how all the NAND makers are gearing up to increase production efficiency and production capacity while NAND sales are near multi-year lows, SSDs are not selling, and.......where the demand!?!?!?!
Chipmakers gearing up for transition to 90/96-layer 3D NAND process technology
digitimes.com
Major memory chip vendors are on track to enter mass production of 90/96-layer 3D NAND products in the second half of 2019, according to industry observers.
For consumer electronics devices, 90/96-layer 3D NAND node manufacturing will enable more cost efficiency compared to previous-generation 3D technologies. Chipmakers with their more advanced 90/96-layer processes are also eyeing huge opportunities arising from automotive and data center applications, the observers indicated.
On another front, major NAND flash chipmakers have moved to cut back their 64-layer 3D NAND chip output aiming to bring stability to the memory market, the observers noted. The NAND flash market has been oversupplied causing chip prices to fall further.
NAND flash bit shipments climbed over 40% on year in 2018, thanks to chipmakers' transition to 3D NAND from 2D NAND process technology. And with China's Yangtze Memory Technologies (YMTC) planning to move directly to the 128-layer generation, major NAND chip vendors are set to transition to their 128-layer 3D NAND processes in the second half of 2020, according to the observers.
|
| | Silicon Motion Inc. (SIMO) | Stock Discussion ForumsShare | RecommendKeepReplyMark as Last Read |
|
| From: Elroy | 5/28/2019 9:04:05 PM | | | | | | hmmm, portable SSDs? I guess this is intended to help external hard disk storage be replace by ... external SSD storage? Ok, good luck with that....
Silicon Motion introduces the First Single Chip Controller for Cost Effective USB Portable SSDs
siliconmotion.com |
| | Silicon Motion Inc. (SIMO) | Stock Discussion ForumsShare | RecommendKeepReplyMark as Last ReadRead Replies (1) |
|
| To: Elroy who wrote (2051) | 5/28/2019 10:40:58 PM | | From: jmiller099 | | | | I like my USB portable SSD. Able to run virtual machine images from it. USB Flash drives are impossible.
Also, when reading reviews for the products it is also a nice use case for photographers to use for high speed access to large RAW images or video files for final processing. |
| | Silicon Motion Inc. (SIMO) | Stock Discussion ForumsShare | RecommendKeepReplyMark as Last ReadRead Replies (1) |
|
| To: jmiller099 who wrote (2052) | 5/28/2019 11:19:45 PM | | From: Elroy | | | | Ok, I don't really know much about the product line.
Isn't every USB stick sort of a small USB - SSD product?
I guess SIMO's new chip is designed for larger and more professionally oriented USB SSD products as you describe.
I've got 3 or 4 external 500GB or 750GB hard drives around the house. I guess they have disk drives inside. In theory this new SIMO product would allow the same file storage function, in a USB-sized format, and with NAND rather than a disk drive, I guess that's the pitch.
And I guess my external 500GB drive has a SATA-3 to USB connection between the drive and the USB port, and the SIMO product would make those SATA-3 cables/tech unnecessary, saving costs.
Fair enough. |
| | Silicon Motion Inc. (SIMO) | Stock Discussion ForumsShare | RecommendKeepReplyMark as Last Read |
|
| From: Elroy | 5/29/2019 8:51:59 AM | | | | | | Damn! 5.9x sales!
SANTA CLARA, Calif., May 29, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Marvell ( MRVL), a leader in infrastructure semiconductor solutions, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement under which NXP will acquire Marvell's Wi-Fi Connectivity business in an all-cash, asset transaction valued at $1.76 billion. The acquisition encompasses Marvell's Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technology portfolios and related assets. The business employs approximately 550 people worldwide and generated roughly $300 million in revenue in Marvell's fiscal 2019. |
| | Silicon Motion Inc. (SIMO) | Stock Discussion ForumsShare | RecommendKeepReplyMark as Last ReadRead Replies (1) |
|
| |
